More Fairbanks ....

A great place to stop is the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center in Fairbanks.  The staff is awesome, the exhibits first rate, the movie (on the aurora, what else?) was very good and gave some different information than the one I saw at the Museum of the North.

I spoke with a ranger for a long time regarding the BLM land on my route and the condition of the three gravel roads I want to drive.  He had several written items on the sights to hand me, as well as personal experience to share.  He actually lives in a dry cabin just outside the Fairbanks city limits.  I thought that probably narrows down his options for a wife, but didn't share my thoughts.  ha.  Anyway, after talking with him, I think I'm going to go for it!  Free camping, great scenery, and all the chips in your windshield (they call it the Alaskan Windshield) you can handle.  Sounds like fun.

So, what else have I seen?  Well, I saw the dump, only here they call it a Transfer Station.  Since I've been dry camping for several weeks now, and there aren't any dumpsters available, I was getting quite a load of trash in my car.  So this is how it works; you drive in (one way) to a square/rectangle open area.  On three sides are side-by-side dumpsters.  The fourth side is an area set aside for things that you want to "share"... like, for example, you have a washer that is still fixable or whatever, you put it in this area (there is a roof like a car port) and anyone can help themselves.  Sort of a recycle center.





And then there are these pipes on the corners, venting the steam from under the street.  I asked several locals to explain this to me and none could, but I gather the pipes under the street are heated and these are the vents.  I remember seeing pictures of New York City with the grates; I assume it is the same idea.  Not all of them are decorated (some are pretty ugly), but it was still something new for me to see.


I drove some back roads to see the area (actually once I was just lost), and, frankly, some of the houses are pretty basic and there is trash and debris all over the yards.  I'm not sure what that's all about.

When I was driving up the A2, there was more litter/trash along side the road than I have seen in any other state .... with a sign saying there is a $1,000 fine for littering.  I don't know if it gets cleaned up as summer approaches, or if it's just left that way.  Pretty sad.

There is a truck stop about 12 miles away, in Fox, called Hill Top.  Some locals recommended I give it a try, especially the pie.  It was pretty good, as was the patty melt.

So, you know I'm currently staying at Pioneer Park.  This is the official blurb - Established in 1968, Pioneer Park--previously known as Alaskaland--offers 7 museums, lots of restaurants and shops and attractions like mini-golf and theaters.  It is really a cool little place.  It is set up like a frontier town, with wooden plank sidewalks.  The buildings are all historic homes and buildings moved here from the area, each one has a plaque telling about its prior use and date, and they are used for the various shops, etc.in the park.  There is also a dance hall, carousel, and apparently the Alaskan Salmon Bake is a big deal. It is a nice place to walk around, even closed for the season.

This picture doesn't do it justice, but can you see the wavy road?  It's both cool and hard on your vehicle if you don't go slow ... Sections of the roads are like this ....

And the weather .... the sun came out and the temperature got up to 50 degrees today!  However, the wind was blowing (13 mph) and it is the coldest wind ever; it just is a miserable wind.

Its snowing hard in Valdez, my next stop, so I'm hanging  out here awhile longer.  More to come.